Political Mannequin Helena Torry in Prison Exchange Scheme

A bizarre story from Aberdeen in Scotland tells of a life-size dummy “arrested” and its creator released in what has been called a prisoner exchange scheme

In a recent Aberdeen City Council election, [April 2012] a creative protest saw a mannequin entered as a candidate with the name Helena Torry. Its purported election agent was Renee Slater, in real-life a political activist.

The authorities were not pleased, and began legal procedures against Renee for election fraud. At some stage Renee was incarcerated in a police cell briefly. When the dummy was recovered by the police, it was “held in custody” and Rene released.

Prisoner exchange

The “facts” of the case were taken and turned into the story of a political exchange between a dummy and its creator. Fact: the name of Helena Torry was entered on the electoral role. Fact: its purported agent Rene Slater was charged under the Representation of the People Act 1983. Fact: Slater claimed to have spent some time in a police cell and was released after the dummy was held by the police [Habeas Corpus act, 1649 to apply]

Renee Slater, who put the name Helena Torry forward to stand in the elections in protest against the candidates and their parties, won the case which had been brought by a council returning officer under the Representation of the People Act 1983. From these facts a story was constructed which is told with relish on the BBC politics show, where you can also find a U-tube of the interview, in which Renee tells the interviewer Andrew Neil [Jan 2013] that she had been in a police cell and was initially exchanged for the dummy.